Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Re: Andal's greatness - Smt Vathsala Srinivasan's Question

From the Bhakti List Archives

Visu9 • November 30, 2002 


/Om namO nArAyanAya |

/namaskArams to all.

I think /SrI ANTAL is great because among all the /AzvArs, she is the only one who cared enough for the future. Even her father's call to the people to join /eGkaL kuZAm was not as far reaching as /tirup/pAvai. 

/tirup/pAvai is /ANTAL's missionary work addressed to the children of all times. By incorporating it as a drama to be played and replayed and calling little girls to a life of commitment, ANTAL transcended time. It is because of /tirup/pAvai that many people who are not formally /vaishnavites know her name and work, and at least a few lines of some songs. 

Thus /ANTAL is an artist also and her work appeals to children. It was designed to be so. In her work psychology stands out as a tool. 

I think /tiru/maGkai AZvAr and /periyAZvAr are also of the same orientation. But /SrI ANTAL succeeds more because within the narrow domain available to her as a woman, she conceived and implemented a human drama that is at once missionary and practical. Judging her by the results, her output in terms of preservation of values is far more than those of the men. That she could achieve this in spite of the restrictions she was placed under is a tribute to her singular dedication and imagination. 

All other /AZvArs require maturity so that their reach to children is limited without training. 

/nalan/tarum collai nAn kaNTu koNtEn; nArAyanA ennum nAmam.

/vantanam.

Visu


--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/